It has always been a problem to successfully and completely remove weeds and other innocuous plants. Invariably, weeds always grow where they are not wanted, especially in a well-manicured lawn or garden.
It has been a common practice in the past either to chop the weeds as close to the surface of the ground as possible or to pull the weeds by hand. Most of the tenacious type of weeds have a tap root which extends downwardly into the soil for a considerable distance in order to obtain moisture. As is well known, if a substantial portion of this root is allowed to remain in the ground after pulling or cutting the top vegetation, the plant will revive and continue to grow. Thus, the most convenient ways of removing weeds are only temporary and usually allow the weed to eventually flourish.
In order to completely eliminate weeds of this type, it is necessary to apply chemicals or other vegetation destroying herbicides or to completely remove the roots of the plant. The manual removal of the roots is usually accomplished by using a tool having an elongated shaft with a bifurcated cutting fork at the end which is pushed deeply into the ground, hopefully on a path which will intercept and cut the roots at a depth which will prevent them from reviving and rejuvenating.